Except this one counted. So when the Lakers went with the Kent Bazemore–Wesley Johnson–Pau Gasol–Jodie Meeks–Kendall Marshall look, with Robert Sacre, Ryan Kelly and Jordan Farmar getting the most minutes off the bench, last night — the largest margin of defeat in franchise history — is what happens.

That could be it for actual implications, though. Lakers’ backers who are seething this morning might not want to hear that. Fans of every other team laughing away may not want to believe it. But 142-94, and an 84-point margin of defeat in the last two flailing attempts at the Clippers, does not tell a besieged front office anything it didn’t already know.

There will be major changes to the roster in the summer. Those were coming anyway.

Yes, these are the kinds of losses that get a coach fired. Except, again: Bazemore, Johnson, Gasol, Meeks, Marshall, Sacre, Kelly, Farmar. That crew playing against the surging Clippers, a team challenging for the West’s top spot.

Every indication from management is that coach Mike D’Antoni is safe because an October lineup is no way to judge a coach. The Lakers, in fact, were seen by many to have overachieved in the first quarter of the season while waiting for Kobe Bryant to return from his torn Achilles’ tendon. That backing came with the Lakers headed for their first sub-.500 finish since 2004-05.

Could one game change that support?

That one Thursday night could. But there’s a very good chance that owner Jim Buss and GM Mitch Kupchak, the men at the top of basketball operations, understand that the same thing would have happened with someone else on the sideline. They know this because the actual worst losses in Lakers history came with the likes of Pat Riley and Phil Jackson as coach.

“This year, we all know it’s been a real tough year for us, right? So what I’d like everybody to do is to really just sit back and just absorb this year. Take it all in. Sit back and watch and listen and hear all the hate that’s being thrown at us and remember every person that’s kicking you when you’re down, because next year it ain’t gonna be this way.

“Appreciate it now. Let it sit in now, because revenge is sweet and it’s quick.”

47 Comments

All I hear from Laker fans are Waah, waah, WAAAAAAH!
Being a lifetime Clippers fan, Thursday’s beat down was for ALLLLL of those LAKER jerk-hoffs that laughed at me for bringing up the Clippers into any basketball conversation.
This victory has marked all of the anguish Clipper fans had to endure every season.
Laker fans can cry a river and drown in it4 all I care.

I think it’s very unattractive and quite boring for an injured player to tweet, hashtag, blurb, blog, or facebook , or make public statements about what you are GONNA do when you come back. I agree with a comment from another article: “Lakers games from today to end of the regular season, should be on the History Channel” . LOL.

I’m from LA and there’s no such thing as a Clipper Laker rivalry. They have never played in a playoff series together and they have never both been truly legitimate competitors for the title at the same time. The day they. change the staples center seat colors from Laker purple to clipper blue is the day you can say the Clippers are historically relevant enough to be a rival of the lakers. Lakers hang championship banners and the clippers hang division titles in the rafters. They are in two different universes historical and therefore the idea of calling this a rivalry sounds more like a punch line to a bad joke more than a factual statement.

Nash who cannot play 2 consecutive games?
Gasol who has been treated like trash?
Second and third rate bench players?
D’ Antoni who needs a dictionary to learn abour defence?
Kobe who has been shooting 40-50% and hasn’t played
any actual basketball since injuring his Achilles last Aprli?

Don’t worry L.A lakers if everybody talks about the lakers it means that they are a very important organization. The world doesn’t end with this, it was just a bad game. Lakers can win another championship again. For all the lakers haters just think about how many championship your teams have won. Have they won more than 10? Just Boston has won 17 championship and i don’t think they can win another soon and the other nearer team is Chicago with 6. So if they talk about L.A. they know they are one of the best teams.

Need to rebuilt from the top down, fire Jim Buss and let Jeanie run the team, fire Mike NoD’antoni and hire Phil or somebody who knows D, Kobe either perform or retire. man and thank you for the memory. Tank this season and may be next as well, sign Melo, KLove and back in business as usual,

I’m not a Lakers fan but I think the Lakers know exactly what they’re doing. The hardest part is going thru the pain of losing or tanking the season.

With almost no one on this roster that is signed after this season, they will land a big name player. With that being said, I think Kobe is going to be a problem with trying to get that player. I don’t think any leader or superstar wants to play with Kobe because of his mindset. But again, there’s a reason why he’s the player he is. Because of the SWAG that he has throughout his whole career. It’s unfortunate now because he’s an older player that still thinks he can play with that swag. Almost all greats have had a hard time letting go and Kobe is no different.

To Laker fans: It’s always a sign of weakness when y’all bring up Championships. I understand it’s a fact but others look at it as an excuse for not having an argument. Take it as men cause the Lakers will be back in the Playoffs in at least two years. A couple of moves this offseason and a lot of money (by not signing anyone past this season) and the Lakers will be back in business.

Lmao! Dan Gilbert said the same thing about his Cavs, winning a chip before the heat and we all know how that story went lol.. Nice try tho! Lakers dynasty died the same day as dr. Buss. Just cherish the lakers past because the Clippers own the future for LA basketball.

You are an idiot. You will not make it out of the west alive. The clippers don’t know how to play when it’s time to slow It down in the playoffs. They will not win a championship it will be like Nash In Phoenix. Great team just not enough to win It all.

every team has their ups and downs. lakers is an elite organization. they’ll find their way back up. that’s just what the reality is. LA isa good city… lakers is a good team… for sure there will be another great player/s that will play for LA that will bring this team back up. its definitely not this season but hey its okay. true fans dont give up on their team. doesnt matter what other people say. we live and die as a laker fan. we dont jump form one team to another just because theyre winning now. win or lose we love the lakers for life.

MAC, the Lakers have 16 championships. As for lakerfovever, Kobe is going no where after signing an extension for almost 50 million dollars, and as supercilious as he may be I don’t think he will go chasing for another title with some other team at the end of his career (e.g., the glove, Shaq, and the mailman). The current management (i.e., specifically big headed Jim Buss) is ruining the franchise.

The best part was not one Clipper starter saw the floor after the middle of the third. Good thing… It could have been much worse for them.. Bwahahahahaha The Lakers looked like a girl scout pickup team.

At some point this season, beyond any “pie in the sky” plans for next season or the season after that, the Lakers have to know that this level of loosing (by an all time winning franchise) is truly unacceptable. The level of coaching, or lack thereof, is truly remarkable. The level of talent, also a lack thereof, is equally mindblowing. What is more troubling though, is the lack of solutions by leadership…..if you can call those guys leaders. There is no plan here, other than an aging Kobe, to come out of this loosing storm. In fact, next year may be just as bad as this one….less Pau Gasol, who happens to be the best player on this horrible team. This coaching style of just jacking up shots has failed to win any championships to date. Steve Nash is still a Lakers signing mistake..leadership needs to just admit it…along with Mike no defense D’antoni. If Kobe wants to have a shot at another ring, he may have to actually leave LA….. or sign on with the Clippers. Tom Thibodeux has a team with just as little talent, but still manages to be respectable and has a game plan. I guess that is the difference in coaching and just holding down a bench during a loosing season.

Agreed. Biggest problem is that I have zero faith in the Lakers front office. Truth is the Lakers are going down with Kobe leading the way. Kobe is a HOFer, one of the best to play the game, etc., etc. but he just doesn’t want to face father time. Giving him the money they did for two years is a great way to say thanks but it is a problem in order to recruit talent. Also, Pau Gasol has been treated so bad, I’m surprised he still suits up and plays! (True professional). The front office has treated Pau something horrible that I believe other players see this and don’t want any part of it. Lakers have a lotttttt of work ahead of them.

16.. and that’s because they have Gasol running the show. Gasol is a complementary player to a superstar to help make him shine, but he is not the man. It’s funny you say Lakers fans deserve it. You must think CEO’s deserve to go broke too, right? What a terrible statement.

MAC, how old are you, 9? In case you have failed to notice, this Laker team doesnt resemble any of the Laker teams that have won championships. And by the way, what team do you ride with. Are you a heat fan like all these other band wagon hoppers? With said, as a Laker fan, i am glad to see this happening. It makes Jim Buss look like idiot. The more they lose maybe the faster Jeanie Buss will take over and Mike D’ Antoni will be fired.